I would ask if movement conservatives have any decency or shame, but that has an obvious question. By way of Jamison Foer, we find that Erick Erickson, CNN contributor and rightwing conservative, has definitely discovered what ails this nation:

Through it all though, well meaning people on both sides of the ideological and partisan divide are not talking about the one thing that should be talked about — a saving faith in Jesus Christ….

The topic of faith in Christ makes people cringe. But whether you believe it or not, here is the reality: beyond us is a world we cannot see with our eyes. It impacts us on a daily basis. It is a world of very real angels and very real demons. It is a world of a very real God and a very real Satan, a very real Heaven and a very real Hell.

The back and forth and accusations and lies surrounding Jared Loughner should be a constant reminder to us that there is more at play in our world than what we see. And, frankly, at times like this I am more and more mindful of the great chasm in this world between the saved and damned.

So will the Arizona massacre make our discourse less toxic? It’s really up to G.O.P. leaders. Will they accept the reality of what’s happening to America, and take a stand against eliminationist rhetoric? Or will they try to dismiss the massacre as the mere act of a deranged individual, and go on as before?

If Arizona promotes some real soul-searching, it could prove a turning point. If it doesn’t, Saturday’s atrocity will be just the beginning.

Well, they’re choosing door number two. As I’ve mentioned before, we are so far beyond debating what the marginal income tax rate should be. This is a basic battle for sanity and decency.

You know if any Democratic-leaning commentator said some as stupid and tasteless as Erickson did, the Republican Wurlitzer would force him to eat a shit sandwich and resign. But Erickson has been saying and promoting through Red State (I don’t link to extremist sites) garbage like this for years and he’s…rewarded with a paying gig at CNN.

Comments

Well, I also have mixed feelings about commentators on the left, including Krugman. Many, if not most, jumped to the conclusion that this was a “right wing” politically motivated action. By all signs, it was not, and getting it wrong diminishes to some extent the larger argument.

The larger argument, which is true, is that violent subtexted rhetoric may have encouraged the shooter here and certainly encourages others. While it may not have been politically motivated, the message that the use of violence is “ok” is not constructive either to general conversation, nor to the future of the country in general.